1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Trifles. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
The play starts off an abandoned farmhouse of John Wright inside his gloomy kitchen in Midwest America in 1916. The farmhouse is located far away from neighbors and surrounded by lots of farmland and the weather seems to be cold outside. In this scene we are introduced to all the characters: The county attorney, Mrs. Peters, the Sheriff, and Mrs. Hale, and Hale. These characters are all friends and right off the bat have a unique relationship especially amongst the men of the play. The dramatic situation that all the character are put under is the murder of John Wright. Who murdered him and why?
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken is the discovery that Mrs. Hale is probably the murder through the discovery of the dead bird. From here on out is when atmosphere of the play changes from calm to anxious.
3.Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor that is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The events take place because in this particular time is because in 1916 women’s rights, sexual harassment, and empathy for women have not become established social norms therefore raising the stakes for Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters when choosing to go against the law and lie to their husbands. The play takes place in this particular place because its honestly the perfect setting for a crime. Way too much land and no one to hear one’s cries.
4. State the dramatic question or questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.) The dramatic question that must be answered by the end of the play is actually whether or not Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale will confess the actual crime that Mrs. Wright committed. Another could also be if Mrs. Wright really did murder her husband.
5.Use Ms. Hale to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles for Ms. Hale.
Mrs. Hale’s motives are not quite clear until the end of the play. She wants closure and to be relieved from the guilt she feels for the loss of a friendship she could have had with Mrs. Wright. She does this through protecting her from going to prison and not confessing the crime. The obstacles that come into play are her against society, her against God, and her against the law. Her against society because of her intrinsic need to serve her duty as a woman/wife by confessing the truth, God and the law in this case goes hand in hand because they both are essentially the same premise in this play and time.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. In your estimation what is the most theatrical moment in Trifles and what happens during that moment which is so important to the outcome of the play?
The dramatic moments that I feel are the discovery of the dead bird and the final scene when the two women decide to withhold the truth. I feel as those these particular scenes dramatically change the pace of the play as well as adding way more stakes for the women to decide to turn Mrs. Wright in or not. Because the entire time we are in the dark about the truth of the situation until those two moments happen.
7.Provide at least three examples of images in Trifles. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”) The images are the jar of fruit trifles, the white garment attached to Mrs. Wrights waist, and the sewing project that was started by Mrs. Wright. The fruit trifles is a very obvious choice simply because of the title to me indicates a symbol of a women’s duty to maintain a household. The white garment indicates Mrs. Wright’s safety shield and the only thing that can she defines herself in, and the sewing project to indicate that Mrs. Hale and Peters know a whole lot more about the situation than the men in the play could ever understand.
8.Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Trifles. Living in the moment and taking actions now are the actions that dictate the future, make the present worthwhile as time will slip by. Morals are never black and white therefore authority should always be questioned. Lastly, there is always another side to the story if only one cares to listen. 9.Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with Trifles? Is family redefined in Trifles?
Family in this case is defined by sisterhoods and brotherhoods and not necessarily the traditional mother, father, kid unit. Families in this play were created unofficially through friendships. The characteristics of these families indicate a strong bond for the women for they are the ones that are subconsciously mistreated while the men are high and mighty. Men have there own poker game than the women essentially.
The play starts off an abandoned farmhouse of John Wright inside his gloomy kitchen in Midwest America in 1916. The farmhouse is located far away from neighbors and surrounded by lots of farmland and the weather seems to be cold outside. In this scene we are introduced to all the characters: The county attorney, Mrs. Peters, the Sheriff, and Mrs. Hale, and Hale. These characters are all friends and right off the bat have a unique relationship especially amongst the men of the play. The dramatic situation that all the character are put under is the murder of John Wright. Who murdered him and why?
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken is the discovery that Mrs. Hale is probably the murder through the discovery of the dead bird. From here on out is when atmosphere of the play changes from calm to anxious.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor that is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The events take place because in this particular time is because in 1916 women’s rights, sexual harassment, and empathy for women have not become established social norms therefore raising the stakes for Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters when choosing to go against the law and lie to their husbands. The play takes place in this particular place because its honestly the perfect setting for a crime. Way too much land and no one to hear one’s cries.
4. State the dramatic question or questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.) The dramatic question that must be answered by the end of the play is actually whether or not Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale will confess the actual crime that Mrs. Wright committed. Another could also be if Mrs. Wright really did murder her husband.
5. Use Ms. Hale to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles for Ms. Hale.
Mrs. Hale’s motives are not quite clear until the end of the play. She wants closure and to be relieved from the guilt she feels for the loss of a friendship she could have had with Mrs. Wright. She does this through protecting her from going to prison and not confessing the crime. The obstacles that come into play are her against society, her against God, and her against the law. Her against society because of her intrinsic need to serve her duty as a woman/wife by confessing the truth, God and the law in this case goes hand in hand because they both are essentially the same premise in this play and time.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. In your estimation what is the most theatrical moment in Trifles and what happens during that moment which is so important to the outcome of the play?
The dramatic moments that I feel are the discovery of the dead bird and the final scene when the two women decide to withhold the truth. I feel as those these particular scenes dramatically change the pace of the play as well as adding way more stakes for the women to decide to turn Mrs. Wright in or not. Because the entire time we are in the dark about the truth of the situation until those two moments happen.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Trifles. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The images are the jar of fruit trifles, the white garment attached to Mrs. Wrights waist, and the sewing project that was started by Mrs. Wright. The fruit trifles is a very obvious choice simply because of the title to me indicates a symbol of a women’s duty to maintain a household. The white garment indicates Mrs. Wright’s safety shield and the only thing that can she defines herself in, and the sewing project to indicate that Mrs. Hale and Peters know a whole lot more about the situation than the men in the play could ever understand.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Trifles.
Living in the moment and taking actions now are the actions that dictate the future, make the present worthwhile as time will slip by. Morals are never black and white therefore authority should always be questioned. Lastly, there is always another side to the story if only one cares to listen.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with Trifles? Is family redefined in Trifles?
Family in this case is defined by sisterhoods and brotherhoods and not necessarily the traditional mother, father, kid unit. Families in this play were created unofficially through friendships. The characteristics of these families indicate a strong bond for the women for they are the ones that are subconsciously mistreated while the men are high and mighty. Men have there own poker game than the women essentially.